Lesser Antilles – Part 2: Saint Lucia, Martinique and Dominica

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Hi friends! I am in Mexico, in Oaxaca, where I arrived after a few days in San Cristobal de las Casas, the beautiful city in Chiapas known for having been occupied in 1994 by the Zapatista Army of Liberation national (EZLN). The occupation took place on the day that started the catastrophic economic agreement NAFTA with the United States, which would in effect, already after a short time, brought even more misery for the poor and the indigenous in Mexico.
After several armed clashes with the Mexican army and some agreements with the government (almost never respected by the latter), the EZLN announced the abandonment of armed struggle except in a strictly defensive way. They invited all revolutionary movements of the left in the world to unite in solidarity and work together to resist neoliberalism, as stated in their last official statement, on June 2005, the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle .
Some municipalities in Chiapas are under their control.
Anyway, Chiapas is amazing, and San Cristobal charming, with its narrow cobbled streets between colorful houses, the colonial churches, and the indigenous women in colorful dresses carrying their children on the shoulder.
Now I am in Oaxaca, another beautiful city, where I was already fifteen years ago, but I don’t remember much. I met a friend of my city (Benevento), Ketty, and her mate, Gianluca.

Last photos of Guatemala, in the Chichicas market, near Lake Atitlan.

Mother and sons.

People.

On the steps of the church.

Woman.

Market colors.

And here in Chiapas, in San Cristobal de las Casas. The city is situated at 2200 meters altitude and is surrounded by mountains.

Woman with son.

Girls.

Often in Chiapas people don’t like being photographed, such as this sprightly old lady who took it particularly badly.

A street of San Cristobal.

Chickens in the market.

Woman at market.

Gentlemen dressed in a very particular way in Tenejapa, one of the villages around San Cristobal.

I went with two Italian guys, and shortly after a strange guy wanted to guide us. Here insists on having a tip, no one knows why, and indifferent to the protests and wonder of the guys.

People in Tenejapa.

Family.

Little boys.

Women.

Sister and brother, always in Tenejapa.

Again in San Cristobal, a little girl at the market.

Woman.

The streets are full of cute little girls selling souvenirs. From this one I bought a subcomandante Marcos pen-shaped.

Girl selling zebras.

Other little girls.

Next time I’ll put some photos of San Juan Chamula, a village near San Cristobal, and those of Oaxaca.
Hasta luego!

I answer the comment.
Hi Kaliopi! My camera is Canon 450d. At the end is nothing of special, it is not even considered semi-pro, but just amateur, and now is 4 years old.
I use 2 lens: Canon 28-135 and Sigma 10-20.
I’m shooting in RAW that gives more flexibility in the post-processing. And of course I use a little of Photoshop, especially for contrast and sharpening.
Let me know if you need more info.
Thank you, kisses… I hope to meet you again somewhere!

Hello guys! I am again in Guatemala, on the spectacular lake Atitlan. The lake, about 50 km wide and deep 340 meters, is surrounded by three volcanoes and about fifteen indigenous villages of Mayan origin, each with its own customs, traditions, modes of dress and language. The village where I am now is San Pedro la laguna.
Many of these villages have suffered terrible repression during the civil war from 1960 to 1996, where, as elsewhere in Central America, the class struggle has merged with the one between conquerors and natives. And in fact we can say that the populations of these areas have suffered massacres, atrocities and violence well before the Civil War, since the Spanish conquest, and it’s amazing how they survived so many centuries without losing their identity.
Civil war which, needless to say – it’s how to repeat a terrible rhyme, was due mainly to the United States, preoccupied, as always, of the social gains achieved democratically by the people of Guatemala. More than 250,000 deaths but they are Guatemalans, not U.S., so who cares.

Lake Atitlan.

View of the lake from Panajachel. On the background, the volcanos. Among the various villages you can travel by boat or by land, in both cases facing beautiful sceneries.

San Pedro la laguna, where I’m now.

Girl.

San Pedro market.

People.

Little girls.

Other little girls.

A banda parades through the streets.

Religious writings on the walls.

Political writings.

Women.

Lady washing clothes in the lake.

On the boat to Santiago, town located between two volcanoes.

A worker bringing wood.

Mascimòn (or Maximon), a Mayan saint of obscure origins. Probably originally was a Mayan god, later blended with Catholics influences. It is hosted every year in a different house in Santiago. The faithful offer him money, cigars and alcohol.

Ceremony inside the house where there is Mascimòn. The man on knee is the shaman.

On the coin of Guatemalan 25 cents there is the face of this lady! (Source: tuc-tuc driver).

The people of Santiago has undergone countless repression by the Guatemalan army. The latest massacre took place on December 2, 1990 when, during a peaceful demonstration, the army opened fire, killing 14 people, including children.